U.Va. Tapped To Lead $27.5 Million Effort to Reinvent Computing

The University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science has been selected to establish a $27.5 million national center to remove a bottleneck built into computer systems 70 years ago that is increasingly hindering technological advances today.

Charlottesville's Tech and Entrepreneurial Scene Over The Past 20 Years...

CBIC just celebrated its 20th year. Let's take a look at what's been happening in the Charlottesville entrepreneurial scene since then. To start, numerous startup companies have launched, many have successfully raised critical seed and follow-on funding, some have been acquired, and most are on their way to great success.

In newer news, critical early-stage funding also increased for local startups. The Charlottesville Angel Network, established in 2015, now has a portfolio of 28 companies with 60% being local. Through CAN alone, 8 new deals closed representing $1.4MM in 2017, and, CAN has invested nearly $4.3MM total.

Established companies have also flourished providing jobs, recruiting talent to our region, and spreading economic diversity. But it's not just about the companies already here. Our region has grown in its attractiveness too. It boasts better startup and high-tech business infrastructure, including high-speed Internet options previously not available, more affordable wet lab space, and accessible collaborative and co-working spaces.

Our University and non-profits offer stellar entrepreneurial and other training and professional development, which facilitates better access to angel investment capital, tech talent, trained interns, and mentors.

Read about how Charlottesville is emerging as a mini-tech powerhouse here, and check out why entrepreneurs continue to choose Charlottesville as their home here.

Our community has pulled together to improve our collective ecosystem. Our best and brightest consistently speak out regarding crucial issues, including our faults. We use various CBIC Tech Night Takeover events sponsored by S&P Global and collaborative Tom Tom Festival happenings as platforms for voicing our concerns, disseminating crucial information to elected officials, and sharing ideas.

It's working. How? You. That's how. And people like you:

CBIC members breathe life into the innovations that fuel tomorrow.

Sponsors contribute to events that make this town one of the best in the country.

For this, we applaud and thank you.
As we ring in this new year, CBIC is alight with the excitement of things to come. Take a look around at your colleagues, mentors, and friends, and recognize how important our actions are in shaping the world around us. Realize that it is our sense of community, rather than any one particular focus, that makes us who we are. Let's stand together and celebrate the inclusivity, diversity, and strength that make Charlottesville so great.

Thank you, all, for your contributions and may this be our best year yet!

Herndon, Virginia, Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced today that its CIT GAP Funds has invested in Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), an aeronautical engineering and aircraft manufacturing company based in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Charlottesville Angel Network also participated in this investment round alongside CIT.

The Advanced Aircraft Company specializes in vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial systems, that target both the commercial and military markets. AAC was founded by William J. Fredericks in October 2015 as a technology spin off from the NASA Langley Research Center. While employed at NASA, Fredericks performed the conceptual design and lead the development of NASA’s Greased Lightning UAV technology. This technology is unique in that it is a true “no compromises” vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. It achieves the aerodynamic efficiency of a conventional fixed wing airplane, while simultaneously achieving VTOL capability. AAC has developed a licensing agreement that allows the company to utilize the NASA technology in order to bring it to market.

In addition to the Greased Lightning, AAC has developed another cutting edge aircraft, which it will bring to market first, the Hercules unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Hercules is a multi-rotor UAS powered by electricity generated by a 2-stroke gasoline engine and features number of aerodynamic improvements. The unique aircraft features a streamlined aerodynamic design, which features hybrid electric propulsion that allows for longer flight times, and rigorous safety procedures that can be employed if the combustion engine fails. These technologies enable the Hercules UAS to fly multiple hours, while other battery powered multi-rotors are limited to 20 to 30 minutes of flight time.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia – AgroSpheres announces the successful close of an oversubscribed seed round of $750,000 from local and international angel investors. AgroSpheres is a biotechnology company developing novel nanotechnologies aiming to set a new standard for bio-based delivery of active ingredients. The funding will be used to broaden utility of the platform, build a strong intellectual property portfolio, and outfit the company’s facilities.AgroSpheres has made significant breakthroughs in the effective and precise delivery of high-value biomolecules and chemicals to a wide range of intended targets. Using next-generation bioengineering and industrial fermentation allow AgroSpheres to out scale competitors at a lower cost.The platform’s focal point is a nanoscale bioparticle created from environmentally friendly microbes that can be functionalized by immobilizing and/or encapsulating active ingredients. Although the applicability of the platform is extremely versatile, the company is focused on developing their technology to innovate the fields of agriculture and industrial enzymes. “We are excited to be developing our technology for precision agriculture applications - we want to help farmers maximize their yields while minimizing their exposure to dangerous chemicals and the off-target exposure of agrochemicals to the environment,” said Payam Pourtaheri, Co-Founder.Ameer Shakeel, Co-Founder, said, “It is opportune timing for us to be making a cost-effective delivery vehicle for enzymes. We see growing value in using industrial enzymes as environmentally friendly, efficient alternatives to synthetic chemicals in various manufacturing industries.”Prior to this round of funding, the company was funded by $174,000 from grants and awards from competitions, most notably Thought for Food, The Collegiate Inventor’s Competition, VentureWell, and the Virginia Wine Board. The company continues to receive strong support from the Charlottesville community and the University of Virginia, including the iLab incubator program.“The founders of AgroSpheres have created a groundbreaking nano-delivery technology by working across disciplines and leveraging multiple departments at the University of Virginia. The AgroSpheres Interdisciplinary Model has set a new standard for translational research and development,” said Dr. Mark Kester, Co-Founder.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cavion, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today that Dr. Spyridon "Spyros" Papapetropoulos has joined as Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Papapetropoulos will lead Cavion’s research and development organization to advance therapies based on the company’s T-type calcium channel (Cav3) platform.

Biovista and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to collaborate on next generation AI and Big Data Analytics to advance real-world personalized medicine at community hospital settings.

Biovista announced today that it is collaborating with HPE to advance Biovista's Project Prodigy Big Data AI healthcare platform applied in the personalized medicine vertical. Advances from the HPE-Biovista collaboration will be used initially within the context of Biovista's existing collaboration with Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center (SBL), a hospital and health care organization that is home to more than 300,000 provider office visits per year.

Recurring Events

The Charlottesville area is recognized for its exceptional high-tech community and entrepreneurial spirit. CBIC is proud to spotlight leadership in these ￼areas annually through the highly anticipated CBIC Awards.

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Charlottesville's Tech and Entrepreneurial Scene Over The Past 20 Years... CBIC just celebrated its 20th year. Let's take a look at what's been happening in the Charlottesville entrepreneurial scene since then. To start, numerous startup companies have launched, many have…

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From Cville Tomorrow

Thousands of people work, play, dine and socialize on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall every day — and some of them connect their phones and computers to the mall’s free Wi-Fi network.
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Crozet cybersecurity startup CounterFlow AI announced last week that it raised $2.7 million in seed funding from Osage University Partners, the Charlottesville Angel Network, and several individual investors.
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At the second Future of Learning Forum, University of Virginia faculty and local schoolteachers spoke about the present shortcomings of public education, and shared ideas for changing the status quo.
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Last weekend, the third annual SPARK! Hackathon at St. Anne’s-Belfield School encouraged local high-schoolers to learn new technology skills and apply them to difficult societal problems.
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